Adrianna Swift is an engineer at instruments manufacturer Endress+Hauser. Elizabeth Parra is a process engineer at Subaru's plant in Indiana. Both women recently spoke with Anna Smith, the news editor for IndustryWeek, about what it’s like to be a woman working in the industrial sector.
To learn more about Adrianna and her experiences in manufacturing, read "Why apprenticeships, outreach, diversity speak to the next generation of manufacturing leaders."
If you’d like to meet Elizabeth and hear her speak, then sign up for the IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit. The event will feature plant tours of the Subaru facility in LaFayette, Indiana, and Endress+Hauser's Indianapolis campus.
Below is an excerpt from the podcast:
IW: I just want to start out with a quick piece of data. According to Women in Manufacturing (WiM) and Xometry’s 4th annual Career Advancement for Manufacturing Report, 79% of women are pleased with the progress they made in the manufacturing industry over the last five years, up significantly from 62% in 2020. And in light of it being Women's History Month, I wanted to ask just what it means to you to be a woman in manufacturing in 2024.
AS: In response to that statistic, I was really happy to see that. I mean, it's not too often that those stats are kind of thrown at us. So, it was interesting to see that and also quite promising to see. I think for me, being a woman in the manufacturing industry now, it needs to be a part of a dynamic and evolving industry and I think a lot can be said about modern industries like tech or healthcare around us. But I think it's especially important for manufacturing and industry that's been around for a very, very long time to also experience the same trend when it comes to women in the workforce.